Moisture-absorbing device

ABSTRACT

A moisture absorbing device includes a tube which is made of board coated with plastic and which in its longitudinal direction is divided into an upper chamber containing a moisture-absorbing agent and a lower chamber containing a liquid-collecting member and communicating with the upper chamber via a liquid-permeable member. The tube has at least one opening on a level with the upper chamber. A netting element, which has at least one fine-meshed netting portion, is so attached to the inside of the tube that the netting portion is located in front of the opening. The liquid-collecting member includes a liquid-tight container connected to the liquid-permeable member.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns a moisture-absorbing device in the form of atube, which in its longitudinal direction is divided into an upperchamber containing a moisture-absorbing agent and a lower chambercontaining a liquid-collecting means and communicating with the upperchamber via a liquid-permeable means.

WO 93/14996 discloses a moisture-absorbing device of this type, which isintended to absorb moisture in a container, whose walls have stiffeningfolds forming vertical grooves on the inside of the walls, and is forthis purpose positioned in such a groove. The tube of this prior-artdevice is made of a fine-meshed steel-wire netting. The upper chambercontains a moisture-absorbing agent in the form of calcium-chlorideflakes, and the lower cheer contains a liquid-collecting means in theform of liquid-absorbing particles of an agent marketed under the tradename of SKAMOL. The liquid-permeable means provided between the upperand the lower chamber here is a partition consisting of a steel-wirenetting. Being larger than the meshes of the steel-wire netting formingthe tube, the calcium-chloride flakes and the Skamol particles areretained in the tube, while air is allowed to enter. Since these flakesand particles are larger than also the meshes of the steel-wire nettingforming the partition, they are retained in their respective chambers,while liquid is allowed to pass through the partition.

However, the prior-art device described above suffers from certaindrawbacks. If the device is handled carelessly, for instance duringtransport, the steel-wire netting forming the tube may easily bedamaged, thus allowing flakes and particles to escape from the tube.When the liquid-absorbing particles are saturated with liquid, liquidmay escape from the device and damage the goods kept in the container.

One object of the present invention is to provide a moisture-absorbingdevice obviating these drawbacks and in addition being inexpensive andeasy to produce.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device which isof the type stated by way of introduction and which is wherein the tubeis made of board coated with plastic and has at least one opening on alevel with the upper chamber, a netting element, which has at least onefine-meshed netting portion, is so attached to the inside of the tubethat the netting portion is located in front of said opening, and theliquid-collecting means consists of a liquid-tight container connectedto the liquid-permeable means.

Preferably, the tube is made of corrugated fiberboard. Conveniently, thenetting element has a collar corresponding to each opening in the tube,said collar having an outer circumferential shape that corresponds tothe respective openings and extending into the opening so as to closethe flute tubes opening in said opening.

The netting element is preferably made of plastic and glued to theinside of the tube.

In a preferred embodiment, the liquid-permeable means comprises anon-return valve means which is liquid permeable only in the directionfrom the upper chamber to the lower chamber.

Suitably, the liquid-collecting means is a plastic bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a corrugated fibreboard from which atube is to be produced, as well as a unit placed on the board andconsisting of a connecting element and a plastic bag,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a netting element,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section, taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 4,of a portion of a device according to the invention, showing theconnecting element in more detail, and

FIG. 4 is a view of a corner portion of a container, in which is placeda device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a rectangular corrugated fiberboard 1 which on both sidesis coated with plastic and from which is to be produced a tube 2 (FIGS.3 and 4) of rectangular cross-section. To this end, the board 1 isformed with four vertical creases 3 along which it is to be folded. Thecreases 3 divide the board 1 into five panels, namely two narrow outerpanels 4a and 4b, one narrow central panel 4c, and two broadintermediate panels 4d and 4e provided on opposite sides of the centralpanel 4c. When the board 1 is folded to form the tube 2, the narrowouter panel 4b is placed on the outside of the narrow outer panel 4a andis glued thereto, as will be described in more detail below.

At its upper part, the one intermediate panel 4e is formed with arectangular opening 5 taking up most of the surface area of the upperpanel half. Instead of a single large opening 5, the intermediate panel4e may be formed with a plurality of minor openings distributed overessentially the same surface area.

FIG. 2 shows a sheetlike netting element 6, which is injection-mouldedof polyethylene and which has a rectangular, fine-meshed netting portion7 surrounded by a rectangular frame 8. The netting portion 7 is alsosurrounded by a collar 9 projecting from one side of the netting element6. The collar 9 has an outer circumferential shape corresponding to theopening 5 and projects from the netting element 6 a distancecorresponding to the thickness of the corrugated fibreboard 1, in orderto extend into the opening 5 and close the flute tubes opening therein(see FIG. 3). If, instead of a single large opening 5, the intermediatepanel 4e is formed with a plurality of minor openings, the number ofcollars equals the number of openings, and the collars have acircumferential shape corresponding to these openings, so as to servethe same purpose as the collar 9.

The connecting element 10 shown in FIG. 3 is made of polyethylene andhas a rectangular cross-section (as seen from above). The connectingelement 10 is in the form of a bowl which, at its upper portion, hasvertical walls and, at its lower portion, has walls which are slightlyinclined inwards and downwards. At the upper portion, the externaldimensions of the connecting element 10 are identical with the internaldimensions of the tube 2. The bottom of the bowl is formed with aplurality of outlet holes 11, which in groups are covered by twoexternal discs 12 of rubber, such as silicone rubber, which each areattached to a pin 13 projecting from the underside of the bowl. Theoutlet holes 11 and the rubber discs 12 form a non-return valve allowingliquid to pass from the top downwards, but not in the oppositedirection.

A retaining ring 14, which is of rectangular cross-section and whoseexternal dimensions are identical with those of the bowl at the upperportion, is also associated with the connecting element 10. Internally,the retaining ring 14 has such downwardly-diminishing cross-sectionaldimensions that it can be applied to the lower portion of the bowl so asto clamp the open end of a plastic bag 15 thereto. As is evident fromthe following, the plastic bag 15 is to serve as liquid-collecting meansin the moisture-absorbing device.

When producing a moisture-absorbing device according to the invention,the plastic bag 15 is attached to the connecting element 10 by means ofthe ring 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.

The corrugated fiberboard 1 is placed on a flat surface and providedwith a glue thread or string 16 extending round the opening 5, a broadand fairly thick glue thread or string 17 extending transversely acrossthe panels 4a, 4d, 4c and 4e approximately in the middle thereof, aswell as a glue thread or string 18 extending along the entire panel 4b.

The unit formed of the connecting element 10 and the plastic bag 15 isthen placed on the broad intermediate panel 4d of the laid-outcorrugated fiberboard 1 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, theconnecting element 10 being placed on the glue thread 17. The nettingelement 6 is placed over the opening 5 in the broad intermediate panel4e of the corrugated fiberboard 1, such that the collar 9 arranged roundthe netting portion 7 is inserted in the opening 5 and closes the flutetubes opening therein, so as to prevent moisture from penetrating intothe corrugated fiberboard material through these. The frame 8 is fixedto the panel 4e of the corrugated fiberboard 1 with the aid of the gluethread 16. Then, the corrugated fiberboard 1 is folded about theconnecting element 10 and the plastic bag 15 in order to form the tube2. After the folding operation, the panels 4a and 4b are pressed againsteach other and are thus interconnected by the glue thread 18.

The connecting element 10 now divides the tube 2 into an upper chamberand a lower chamber, which communicate with each other only by means ofthe non-return valve formed of the outlet holes 11 and the rubber discs12 and allowing liquid to pass only in the direction from the upperchamber to the lower chamber.

The upper chamber is filled with a moisture-absorbing agent, forinstance flakes of calcium chloride, whereupon a lid (not shown) isapplied to the upper end of the tube 2. Likewise, a lid (not shown) isapplied to the lower end of the tube 2.

Finally, a shrink film (not shown) is so applied round the upper portionof the tube 2 that it covers the opening 5 and the upper lid, thuspreventing bits of the moisture-absorbing agent from falling out as wellas the upper lid from coming loose when the device is handled ortransported carelessly. It goes without saying that the shrink film isremoved when the device is to be used.

When the device is in operation, air enters the upper chamber throughthe opening 5 and the netting portion 7, and moisture contained in theair is absorbed by the moisture-absorbing agent. The resulting liquidflows through the non-return valve 11, 12 down into the plastic bag 15.The liquid collected in the plastic bag 15 is retained therein, beingprevented from returning to the upper chamber even if the device isturned upside-down.

The moisture-absorbing device according to the invention isadvantageously employed in a container 19 (FIG. 4) having verticalpockets or grooves 20 formed on the inside of the container walls by thestiffening folds of the container 19. Conveniently, the device isattached to the container wall by means of a double-adhesive tape 21.

I claim:
 1. A moisture-absorbing device in the form of a tube, which inits longitudinal direction is divided into an upper chamber containing amoisture-absorbing agent and a lower chamber containing aliquid-collecting means and communicating with the upper chamber via aliquid-permeable means, wherein the tube is made of board coated withplastic and has at least one opening on a level with the upper chamber,a netting element, which has a least one fine-meshed netting portion, isso attached to the inside of the tube that the netting portion islocated in front of said opening, and the liquid-collecting meansconsists of a liquid-tight container connected to the liquid-permeablemeans.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tube is made ofcorrugated fiberboard.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein thenetting element has a collar corresponding to each opening in the tube,said collar having an outer circumferential shape that corresponds tothe respective openings and extending into the opening so as to closeflute tubes opening in said opening.
 4. A device as set forth in any oneof claim 1, wherein the netting element is made of plastic.
 5. A deviceas set forth in claim 1, wherein the netting element is glued to theinside of the tube.
 6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein theliquid-permeable means comprises a non-return valve means which isliquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to thelower chamber.
 7. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein theliquid-collecting means is a plastic bag.
 8. A device as set forth inclaim 2, wherein the netting element is made of plastic.
 9. A device asset forth in claim 3, wherein the netting element is made of plastic.10. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the netting element isglued to the inside of the tube.
 11. A device as set forth in claim 3,wherein the netting element is glued to the inside of the tube.
 12. Adevice as set forth in claim 4, wherein the netting element is glued tothe inside of the tube.
 13. A device as set forth in claim 2, whereinthe liquid-permeable means comprises a non-return valve means which isliquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to thelower chamber.
 14. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein theliquid-permeable means comprises a non-return valve means which isliquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to thelower chamber.
 15. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein theliquid-permeable means comprises a non-return valve means which isliquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to thelower chamber.
 16. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein theliquid-permeable means comprises a non-return valve means which isliquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to thelower chamber.
 17. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein theliquid-collecting means is a plastic bag.
 18. A device as set forth inclaim 3, wherein the liquid-collecting means is a plastic bag.
 19. Adevice as set forth in claim 4, wherein the liquid-collecting means is aplastic bag.
 20. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein theliquid-collecting means is a plastic bag.